the same eyes
by kurotaiyo
Summary: A oneshot of Haku narrating an event in his life before he met Zabuza. R


**A/N: This is my first attempt at writing something thats not a comedy. So... yeah, please enjoy this.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own this oneshot.**

It was before I met Zabuza-san.

"You have the same eyes as me."

She said that when she first saw me. I sat at my usual spot, next to the village's baker's, after a day's worth of begging for nothing. She was skipping lightly, making barely noticeable footprints in the snow. Shivering, I watched her go past me, without any sign of noticing my presence. Just like everyone else, I thought at the time- but then she did something unexpected.

She turned around and smiled at me.

Her smile was sweet and warm, reminiscent of my mother's before _that_ happened. I felt the muscles involuntarily fix my face into a smile. From what I could see, she was my age. I looked into her eyes, her gentle yet piercing eyes that seemed to look past all my faults and horrors.

"You have the same eyes as me."

She took me to an old cottage that she had gone to play in often and offered it as shelter for me. There was plenty of food, and she wanted to share it with me, she said. I, being starved and cold, readily accepted the offer. We spent many days in there together, me talking about my wanderings, and her talking about the latest village news. But sometimes, despite her kindness, I would pause, and wonder if letting her know me would be wrong. Whenever I was alone, I played with the water I melted from the snow, wondering whether I should tell her about _it_. One day, I finally did.

She was ecstatic when she first saw me make the water float up from the pail and bend according to my will. Clapping her hands, she'd smile that same sweet smile I was happy to see, and comment on how she wished she could do the same too. I looked into her eyes and suddenly felt an urge to ask her why she took me with her.

"You have the same eyes as me."

Then that day came. I was sitting inside the cottage, waiting for her to come. She opened the door and I greeted her.

I hadn't noticed that she opened the door slower than before. I hadn't noticed the strain in her voice when she returned my hello. I hadn't sensed anything.

We started playing as usual. I formed shapes, a flower, a moon, a dragon, and she watched and smiled. I stopped to watch her smile. The same gentle, comforting smile of my mother.

She suddenly reached out to hug me. I didn't resist, I had missed the feeling the warmth of a pair of arms wrapped around my body. I was so enraptured by her warmth that I didn't react when I felt her arms suddenly let go, and her hands push me down. My knees hit the ground; I couldn't see, my face was at her stomach. But I felt something blow just over the top of my head. I heard her knees thud on the ground and I saw her face.

Her eyes stared into mine, the gentle gaze now filled with pain.

I looked down to see a hole in her chest. Remember the blowing over my head, I turned and saw a large, bloody arrow lying on the floor directly behind me. My eyes widened as I turned to look back at her, my mind piecing together what had happened. Bewildered, I asked her why.

"You have the same eyes as me."

She said no more and died with that smile on her lips.

I stumbled out of the cottage and saw a large number of villagers, weapons in hand, staring at me with a shocked look on my face. I let out a cry.

That village became red icicles.

As I stumbled over the remnants of the village, I realized that the villagers had forced her to assist in killing me. She was to be a sacrifice; she had interacted with me, a kekkei genkai user, and should be killed. They ordered her to hold me as they shot an arrow through the both of us.

It was my fault, her death. I was the evil one, the one with the cursed bloodline. Just like with my mother's. This girl didn't want me to die. I couldn't, because I had the same eyes as her. Those same eyes that looked past the outer horrors and faults of people.

I left the village without looking back.

A month later, Zabuza found me.

I told him one thing:

"You have the same eyes as me."


End file.
